Songs by the Hearth

Countries

Countries and Territories

One of the last remaining vestiges of the old Nerathan Empire, Stormhold is built on tradition, and remains one of the more civilized and peaceful nations on Illia despite its military rule. From the towering Imperial City to the hundreds of small farming villages dotted across the land, there exists an almost tangible sense of duty and respect.

Kataan is home to The Ninefold: The religious sect devoted to Io, and is ruled by the Kingpriest and his army, the Knights of Io. Here, religion is a way of life, and the religious leaders are the judge, jury and executioner. They are a stern but fair order, and well-liked by those on the right side of the law.

Over the centuries the Dwarves have built an expansive network of both underground cities and mountain-top fortress. Their architecture are some of the most grand on Illia, and with the Dwarves’ industrial revolution over the last 200 years it has only become more amazing.

Following the founding of Kataan, those who refused to worship Io under The Ninefold made a life in the north, and thus Mesa was born. The people are a rough, grizzled bunch, having carved a life out of the tundra and mountains. Many people say that living as they do, the Mesites have become savage and cruel, but those are just rumors. At least they hope so…

Born from the rubble of the old port metropolis Granville, this small country is a powerhouse for commerce thanks to the countless numbers of unpaid, undead, workers that toil along with the highly skilled living. Ruled by the mysterious Millenial Emperor and Dawn Queen, Arran’ak’s existance is a juxtaposition of life and death in equal parts.

Drakovar is a home to thousands of dragonborn. With the coming of the New World dragonborn were given land outside of the desert, which many readily took. The desert still holds a few gems: cities built to contend with ancient Arkhosia’s splendor, though much of that splendor hides beneath the ever-shifting sands.

Leuda is a small country with no organized government to speak of. Each grouping of settlements acts as a city-state, and is responsible for their own protection and policing. Its a hostile place for outsiders, and many of its cities are touted as little more than dens for criminals that escaped justice elsewhere. The unofficial capital is Lyr, but if you asked someone from the Salt Flats, they might not even know Lyr’s name.

The once majestic home of the elves. Verdant forests used to cover the land from mountain to sea, and ne’er was there a more beautiful sight that the woodlands in the fall. But that was before the darkness. The forests have been twisted and mutated, barely resembling what once was. Any elves that survived their genocide hundreds of years ago have long since become something entirely more sinister and evil.

A mostly untamed wilderness, Oriath is home to many older cultures, most notably the eladrin. Dense, sprawling forests, vast marshes, jagged hills, and icy mountains makes this place both dangerous and beautiful. To those who know the land, it is a place of beauty and magic, but to those who wander in by accident, a vicious and cruel place.